Exercising device



Dec. 15, 1942. c, E. NICHOLS 2,305,548

EXERCIS ING DEVICE Filed Feb. 5, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /l l/7 22939 /fL/Z7 /5/ v /QJ l r n Z3' Z/ Z/ '27 (9)/ l i@ 50! CENz'a/zol' wwf-75MPatented Dec. 15, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT orifice EX'ERCISING DEVICECharles E. Nichols, Delaware, Ohio Application February 5, 1942, SerialNo. 429,693

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an exercising device which is adapted to bedetachably fastened to a bed for use by a patient while lying in areclining position on the bed, and more particularly to a device for useby persons who are recovering from injuries or ailments which haveresulted in the loss of use of the arms, for providing a mild but verybeneficial means for exercising the arms to restore the strength thereinand the use thereof.

More particularly, it is an object of the invention to provide anexercising device including a support having portions that move over thebed and having `pulleys depending therefrom over which is trained aflexible member the ends cf which are adapted to be grabbed by thepatient, while in a reclining or prone position so that a pull on oneend of the flexible member will cause said end to move downwardly andthe other end upwardly, to enable the patient, by pulling alternately onthe opposite ends of the flexible member, to execute an upward anddownward movement of the arms.

Still a further aim of the invention is to provide an exercising devicewhich can be readily attached to or removed from the head of a bed,which will not interfere with raising and lowering the ends of themattress and springs when used on a hospital bed, and which can bequickly and easily moved to an inoperative position above and behind thebed when notf in use and especially when the patient is receivingtreatment by a doctor or nurse.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter becomemore fully apparent from the following description of the drawings,which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View showing the exercising device orattachment applied to a bed,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the attachment, shown in an appliedposition,

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the same,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevational view thereof,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along theplane of the line 5--5 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional View takensubstantially along the plane of the line 6--6 of Figure 1, and

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view takensubstantially along the plane of the line I-'I of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,

wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding partsthroughout the diiierent views, IG designates generally a conventionalbed of the hospital type which is 'provided with conventional means IIfor raising and lowering the end I2 of the springs and spring frame. Thebed lli is provided with a conventional head portion I3 including aninverted U-shaped member the ends of which form the head posts i4 andthe intermediate portion of which forms the tcp rail of the head portionI3. The head portion I3 also includes a cross brace I6 which is disposedsubstantially below the top rail I5 and the ends cf which are anchoredin the head posts I4, It is to be understood that the bed I forms nopart of the present invention but is illustrated and described merely tobetter illustrate the application of the invention, designated generallyI'I, and which will hereinafter be described. Furthermore, the bed I0illustrates only one type of bed with which the exercising device I'Ican be used as the device i1 is adapted for use on all types of beds.

The exercising device or attachment I'I includes a frame, designatedgenerally I6, which is composed of upright members I5 and cross members2i! which are arranged in cross relationship to the uprights i9 andwhich are connected thereto by means of nut and bolt fasten ings 2l. Theupright members I9 extend substantially above the upper cross member 20and the ends of the cross members 2i) project beyond the two uprightsI9, as best seen in Figure 3.

As best seen in Figure 5, the uprights I9 are positioned behind the headI3 of the bed and between the cross members 2li and the head portion I3,and said uprights i9 bear vagainst the top rail I5 and the brace I6. Theends of the cross members 2B are disposed behind the head posts I4. rIheframe I8 is detachably connected to the back side of the head portion I3by means of clamps 22, as best seen in Figures 2 and 6. Each of theclamps is provided with a hook shaped portion 23 which is adapted toengage around the forward side of one of the posts I4 and which isprovided at one end thereof with a shank 24 which extends rearwardly ofthe outer side of said post I4 and across and beyond an end of one ofthe cross members 2Q. The shank 24 is provided with an inturned free end25 which is disposed behind said end of the cross bar 20 and which isprovided with a threaded opening 26 for receiving a set screw or bolt 21which extends inwardly therethrough. The set screws 2'I of the clamps 22are adapted to be advanced against the rear sides of the ends of thecross members 20 for forcing the frame IFB toward the head portion I 3to move the uprights I9 into frictional engagement with the top rail I5and the brace Iii to thereby detachably clamp the frame i8 on the headof the bed.

The frame I8 is clamped to the head portion I3 so that the upper ends ofthe uprights I9 will extend above the top rail I5. A supporting arm 28is pivotally connected near an end thereof to the upper end of each ofthe uprights I9 by means of a hinge 29. As seen in Figure 1, each hinge23 has a leaf secured to the back side of an upright I9 and a leafsecured to the under side of an arm 28 for pivotally mounting the armson the uprights. The uprights I9 are provided with upwardly andforwardly inclined upf per ends 33 on which the arms 23 rest forsupporting them in upwardly and forwardly inclined positions, as seen inFigure l. The arms 28 are each provided with a longer end 3| whichextends forwardly from the frame I8 and which is disposed over'the bedIll, and a shorter end 32 which extends rearwardly from the frame. Theforward ends 3|, adjacent the terminals thereof, are connected togetherby means of a brace 33. The ends 3l have eye screws 34 dependingtherefrom, adjacent their free ends, to which are pivotally connecteddepending pulleys 35. A flexible member 35, such as a cable or rope, istrained over the pulleys 35 and has its ends depending therefrom andprovided at their terminals With handles 3l which are positioned, whenthe arms 28 are disposed as shown in Figure l, so that the person, notshown, while lying in a prone or reclining position on the bed II), cangrasp the handles 3"! when said handles are at substantially the samelevel.

A brace 38 is fastened to the underside of each arm portion 3I,intermediate of the ends thereof, and said braces are disposed obliquelyto the arms and extend toward the uprights I9, when the arms are intheir positions of Figure 1. The uprights I9 are provided with recesses39 in their forward sides and above the top rail I5 to receive theopposite, free ends of the braces 38 for bracing the arms 28, when theyare thus positioned.

On the outer side of each of the uprights I9 is pivotally mounted lahook 48 and on the outer side of each of the arm ends 32 is disposed aneye 4I. By swinging the supporting arms 28 upwardly and rearwardly, saidarms will move as a unit to their dotted line positions of Figure 1, inwhich positions the under sides of the ends 32 will be disposed againstthe back sides of the uprights I3 and the eyes 4I will be positioned sothat they can be engaged by the hooks 48 for retaining the arms 28 inupright positions above and behind the uprights I9. When the arms 28 arethus moved upwardly, the braces 38 move out of engagement with therecesses 33 and when the arms 28 are returned to their solid linepositions, the free ends of the braces 38 will be returned intopositions seated in the recesses 39.

Assuming that a person, not shown, is lying on his back on the bed Illand that the handles 3'I are in the positions as seen in Figures 1 and4, said handles can be grasped, one in each hand, by the personoccupying the bed and by pulling on one handle 31 said handle will movedownwardly and the upper handle will move upwardly. By thus alternatelypulling on the handles 3l, the user may exercise his arms to any extentthat his strength permits. It will thus be seen that the apparatus I'Iprovides means whereby bedridden persons may exercise their arms in away to enable them to regain use of the arms where, through any cause,the use thereof has been lost or substantially lost.

It will be readily apparent that the clamping members 22 will notinterfere with the upper portion of the bed being raised or lowered.Furthermore, the elevation of the exercising device I'I may be readilyVaried by loosening the clamps 22. The clamps 22 are detached byloosening the screws or bolts 27 after which the clamps can be moved topositions above or below the cross bars 2D and then readily detachedfrom the bed posts I4, and applied by attaching them to the bed postabove or below the cross hars 2U and sliding them into positions as seenin Figures 1 and 5.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously beresorted to, provided they fall within the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined by the appended claim, as only apreferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

An exercising attachment for beds comprising a frame, means fordetachably clamping the frame to the outer side of the head of a bed,said frame including uprights which extend above the top of the head ofthe bed, supporting arms connected to tops of the uprights andprojecting therefrom over the bed, pulleys depending from the arms, aflexible member trained over the pulleys and having depending endspositioned above the bed and located conveniently to be grasped by aperson reclining on the bed, said supporting arms being pivotallyconnected to the uprights for swinging movement to upright positions,latch means for retaining the arms in upright positions, said uprightshaving forwardly opening recesses, said supporting arms being providedwith braces arranged to engage said recesses when the arms are in theirrst mentioned positions, over the bed.

CHARLES E. NICHOLS.

